In the history of "auxiliary" language movement, only a very few of these languages has
reached any kind of "mass" whatsoever.

No matter the language, none of them has made a dent in the world population yet.

So, looking at this situation with some hard cold facts, it strikes me as "funny" that no one
pays attention to this.

For instance, in many threads the discussion goes along explaining what the world needs is
"such and such". And, the justification is this, "In my language XXX, I have used, striven for,
worked to obtain, etc." such and such amelioration.

To an outsider, this might look a little like, self-promotion instead of language promotion. And,
the real reason, right or wrong, appears not to be to promote a real secondary auxiliary
language, but to blow one's own horn. As in, "see, in MY language, that I developed, using
MY opinion and MY skills, and MY expertise, I have solved the problem but nobody listens."
But, "because I have done this, I can be looked to as an expert on what to do with an
international secondary auxiliary language for everyone, including the orientals." Yet, in
reality, the failure of those languages to be accepted only says that those folks are experts in
"auxlang failure" and are not to be listened to. Don't you think?

Look, only about five men have ever had their language grow to any size whatsoever in the
world. Volapuk's author, [I forget his name right now] Zamenhof, Couturat, De Wahl, Gode,
and perhaps Peano. Oh, a couple more could be mentioned, but really, we are limited to
about five over-all.

Now, if that is the case, after 200 years, doesn't that speak to the fact that a totally different
tact needs to be looked at?

Why does someone continue to think that they personally are the world's salvation when it
comes to building the IAL that will be accepted? Based on what?

Dr. Zamenhof's language is the best and the worst in several ways. But, even on it's best
day, the world as a whole says, NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And, because of the notoriety of Esperanto, the world says NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! to
the rest of the languages, including Occidental, Ido, ILa, Novial, etc.

We have a world population of six and a half BILLION people today. And, 2,000,000, if we
say that figure is true, is what percentage of the world population? More people play chess.

Nobody seems to be listening, here on auxlang, and elsewhere. The world just isn't buying it.

And, nobody here listens. Certain ones just keep going on trying to find the "magic elixer" to
get the world to say, "YESSSSSSS, that's it!"

Don't you think it is time to wake up about this and try something different?

I'm going to mention and use Occidental as an example. But, it could be any one of the top
five. So, please look at this as an example, and not a promotion of just one language,
Occidental.

Let's say this whole list decided to go with one language, Occidental. What could be done
that isn't being done now?

1. Everyone, and I mean everyone here, now committed, could begin building separate
websites promoting Occidental. [Please exchange Occidental with one of your choice of the
top five.]

2. Everyone here would begin using Occidental on the auxlang list, to discuss all the same
topics, BUT in Occidental.

3. Soon, everyone here would become a fluent expert in Occidental.

4. Everyone here could begin lessons at local community colleges under the evening adult
class schedules. In those, you just sign up, and teach what YOU want, not what the college
wants. Then, each catalog of adult classes would have a class advertised in the college
catalog, printed and paid for by them, in Occidental. You would teach the enrollees and also
get paid for doing so.

5. Everyone here could write the media about Occidental as a unit.

6. Classes could be set up on the Internet all over the world by the members of this list, each
offering it in his/her own language.

7. Materials could be written as a group effort to compile books, magazines articles, booklets,
etc. to promote the language Occidental.

8. Other languages could be taught through Occidental. I.e. As in, instead of learning Italian
from an English book, one would learn Italian from an Occidental book, or French, or
Speedwords, or Esperanto, etc.

9. Local meetings could be promoted by each member of the auxlang list where they are, so
that folks could get together for Occidental "fellowship".

10. AND, Occidental, [frankly in my opinion, the only IAL that can do it] could be "grown" to
the point to include virtually everything ever discussed here that a language should have.
Such as, begin adding appropriate words from other languages, especially words that are
approching internationality.

11. A concerted effort could be done by everyone to produce real articles of current value to
be placed on one site on the internet as a world "news" "science" "education", etc. site. I.e. a
library of original materials found no where else.

12. A specific daily news site, with news feeds from auxlang members all over the world
writing up current news of their local areas. Each member would automatically become a
news reporter.

13. And, more. Versus what we have today, i.e.

Occidental IMO is the only one ready for this kind of change and improvement without
creating another language.

I frankly believe that if each member on auxlang would seriously and honestly try Occidental,
versus looking for faults only, would discover that all the changes can be made right within
Occidental to satisfy almost anyone on this list.

Over the decades Occidental has dropped what didn't work, and added what does. And, it is
amenable to modernisation even more.

I believe that the others are not capable of this, and that only Occidental has a track record to
prove it.

Be that as it may, such a scenario as outlined above, and more, could make a real impact on
a portion of the world to get out of this quagmire of mud the IAL movement is in.

If the idea of an IAL is to develop more clubs and congresses, then I don't think it will ever
grow beyond what it is right now. In fact, it will only diminish.

Esperanto is proving this daily by no ability to grow beyond the "2,000,000" ideal in spite of
population growth. Percentage wise, it is growing into nothingness. So, what does that say
about those with fewer "adherents" than Esp.?

The reality is, the tactics must be changed. The realityis the "lone ranger mentality" of
creating new languages isn't working and never will, period. And, I challenge, no I defy,
anyone to prove me wrong on this by getting the world to use your language in a short period
of time, i.e. before you die, even.

New thinking, new planning, new unity, etc. is required, or you can just forget it. Otherwise, it
will continue on as is with nothing more than a "club" to discuss the "ideals" that will never
occur, ever.

Isn't it time to take a new look at this field, and do something really different? Go back and
read the archives on this list, and tell me which ones today are any different than the
archives. Then, tell me from the old magazines and jurnals what we are saying today that is
different than what was said in 1850, 1887, 1906, 1907, 1922, 1949-51, 2007? Nothing is
being brought to the table that is different.

What is different, and it is the only thing different, is that people who have not looked into the
archives, or read the old writings, think that they have something new. They don't. You don't.
I don't.

It's time to pick one or two and work on and with them. Otherwise, any of you still living in
2050, I suggest you drop in on auxlang list and read the posts by people saying what you said
in 2007, thinking they have come up with something new.

If any one likes advice from others than from me, then look at the I Ching. The only thing
permanent is CHANGE, and the auxlang, IAL, worldlang, etc. field is not changing. It is the
same, yesterday, the same today, and will be tomorrow. Only tomorrow, the Esperanto
2,000,000 will be among 8-12 Billion inhabitants of planet earth. Hmmm, which do you think
is growing into extinction?